Sugar and your family: The sweet truth

With over 32% of the Australian population now considered obese, nutritionists and dieticians are looking more closely than ever at the causes of this huge health issue. The main issue, they say, is that we are eating more calories than we are burning – in other words, we are eating too much and exercising too little.

Sugar consumption is of major concern – particularly in convenience foods, because these foods are consumed in large quantities, are generally low in nutritional value and high in added sugars.

Types of sugar

There are four main types of simple sugars: glucose, dextrose, fructose and lactose. Table sugar, also called sucrose, is a sugar compound of fructose and glucose. Each sugar has a different effect on the human body and so it’s important to be sugar-smart about what you and your family eats.

Glucose

Glucose is our body’s primary source of energy. Most of the glucose in our diet comes from the sugar and starch found in carbohydrates – and it is this type of sugar that diabetics can’t naturally regulate.

Rice, grains, potatoes, pasta, fruits and some vegetables are all rich in carbohydrates, and so are high in glucose. Once carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, this functional form of energy is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it combines with the chemical insulin. Combined together, they enter the body’s cells and provide the energy needed to power our bodies.

Dextrose

Dextrose is a form of glucose and works in the same way on our body. When we have consumed too much dextrose, our bodies convert it to fat or glycogen. Glycogen can later be used by muscle tissue as a direct energy source for muscles – and for this reason, it is often included in nutritional supplements for body builders. Dextrose is about half as sweet as sucrose.

Fructose

Fructose is found in most fruits and is the sweetest of the naturally occurring sugars. Fructose has a low glycemic index which means that there is a slow release of this type of sugar into the body, rather than the sudden rush associated with glucose. For this reason, diabetics can consume foods that contain fructose.

Lactose

Lactose is a milk sugar and is a compound of glucose and another simple sugar, galactose. Lactose is found in milk, including human milk and is not found naturally in any other types of foods beyond dairy products. Lactose intolerance occurs when our body doesn’t produce enough of an enzyme called lactase that assists in the breaking down of the milk sugars.

Sucrose

Sucrose is more commonly called table sugar. A compound of fructose and glucose and naturally occurs in sugar cane. Often referred to as having ‘empty calories’, sucrose is high in calories but has no nutritional value at all. Other than supplying energy, sucrose does nothing to support the body.

What is corn syrup?

Corn syrup is not a naturally occurring sugar. Made from the processing of corn into cornstarch which is mainly glucose, enzymes are then added which convert much of the glucose to fructose. With a sweetness that is similar to sucrose, corn syrup – and its most commonly produced variety, high fructose corn syrup – has replaced sucrose as the most commonly used sweetener in the manufacture of foods in the US, although it is rarely used in Australia because cane sugar is cheaper and more readily available.

Health concerns have been raised by experts about the heavy use of high fructose corn syrup in food manufacturing, and recently there has been a trend away from its use and back towards sucrose.
Interestingly, the Corn Refiners Association in the US (by far the biggest consumers of the syrup) have applied to change the name of ‘high fructose corn syrup’ to ‘corn sugar’ on food labels with the argument that consumers should know exactly what they are eating.

How much sugar is OK to eat?

In 2003 four UN agencies, including the World Health Organisation, commissioned a report on nutritional advice. The report recommends that, ‘the total of free sugars [that is, sugars added to foods by manufacturers, cooks or consumers, plus sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, and fruit juices] should not account for more than 10% of the energy intake of a healthy diet, while carbohydrates [that are broken down into sugars by the body] in total should represent between 55% and 75% of the energy intake.”

How to replace sugar in your family’s diet

Cutting down on sugars is one way you can help your family to stay healthy and consume the right amount of energy-intake foods. While most families will struggle to completely cut sugar from their diet – and for most of us, there really is no need to be that extreme either, you can minimise it by first of all identifying the main sugar culprits in your home and removing these. Look at the sugar content on product packets to identify the worst offenders. Next, you need to restock your pantry and fridge with non-sugary foods. Stocking up on healthy snacks is really important because convenience snack foods are often the most high-sugar foods in the house.

Instead try:

Bread

All breads contain sugar. Try and stick to the brown and grainy breads because these are low-sugar and have twice as much fibre as white breads.

Nuts

When it comes to sugars, there is no such thing as a bad nut. While some do have low levels of fructose, they have huge amounts of fibre so make a perfect snack food.

Meat

Meats contain no sugars at all. Just be careful what you eat with meat – many pre-packaged sauces and marinades are full of sugars so check the labels carefully before dousing your steak in tomato sauce.

Fruit

Yes, there is obviously going to be fructose in fruit – but fruit also contains good amounts of fibre and water. Just be sure to eat WHOLE fruit rather than juicing it, by juicing fruit, you are in effect removing all the fibre and just consuming the water and fructose.

Vegetables

Again, all vegetables contain some fructose but it is usually in small amounts. By contrast vegetables generally have a high fibre content, as well as high levels of vitamins and minerals. For that reason, there should be no limit to the amount of vegetables you consume.

Dairy products

Avoid sweetened yoghurts and milk and you will keep sugar levels relatively low. All dairy products do include lactose, but unless you are lactose intolerant, this should not be a concern.

This article contains general information only and is not intended to replace advice from a qualified health professional.

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